Ink scraper member mounted on ink agitator carriage

ABSTRACT

An ink scraper structure on a printing press for facilitating removal of printing ink from flat-bladed tools used therewith, the scraper member being rigidly secured to a carriage movable along an ink receiving receptacle in which is disposed at least one of a plurality of cooperable rollers, the carriage being movable along the upper edge of the receptacle and having an agitator member extending into ink contained therein with the scraper member being mounted on the agitator carriage and disposed above the agitator carried thereby, the opposite end of the scraper being disposed adjacent to and protected by the inking rollers.

United States Patent 2,429,442 10/1947 Worthington 101/350 3,128,699 4/1964 Gegenheimer et a1 101/364 3,292,534 12/1966 Maschinot n 101/364 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-.1. Reed Fisher Attorney-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson ABSTRACT: An ink scraper structure on a printing press for facilitating removal of printing ink from flat-bladed tools used therewith, the scraper member being rigidly secured to a carriage movable along an ink receiving receptacle in which is disposed at least one of a plurality of cooperable rollers, the carriage being movable along the upper edge of the receptacle and having an agitator member extending into ink contained therein with the scraper member being mounted on the agitator carriage and disposed above the agitator carried thereby, the opposite end of the scraper being disposed adjacent to and protected by the inking rollers.

PATENTEU JUL 6197! 3590.736

INK SCRAPER MEMBER MOUNTED ON INK AGITATOR CARRIAGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the setting up and running of printing presses, flat-bladed tools are employed to spread the ink or remove-ink from elements of the press, as desired, which ink must be removed from the tools, preferably being returned to the ink supply or fountain of the press. However, normally the operator uses any available edge on the ink-receiving receptacle or if none is available the blade may be wiped on some other available object and discarded.

The present invention is directed to a scraper structure forming a part of the press and disposed to return the removed ink to the ink-receiving receptacle at the most suitable location, namely directly at the ink agitator associated therewith whereby ink being returned to the receptacle is thoroughly mixed with the ink therein. The operator's tools thus may be readily cleaned with a minimum amount of time and waste motion.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention involves printing presses utilizing an ink fountain having an ink-receiving tray-shaped receptacle with the ink being transferredfrom the tray to a point of usage through a plurality of cooperable inking rollers disposed on parallel axes with at least one of the rollers being positioned adjacent a top longitudinal edge of the tray and disposed for at least partialimmersion in ink contained therein. Movable along a longitudinal edge of the tray is an agitator carriage having a rotatable agitator which extends therefrom into the ink supply, such agitator being rotated as the carriage moves along the receptacle. Mounted on the carriage is a scraper member which comprises an elongated bar having one end rigidly secured to the carriage and the opposite end disposed adjacent to the ink rollers, the length of the bar preferably being sufficient to dispose the free end thereof in intersecting relation with respect to a common tangent to two adjacent rollers whereby the latter function as guard members for the adjacent end of the scraper member, eliminating any possibility of undesired engagement of such end with another object. The scraper member also is so constructed that accidental movement of a blade off of the ends of the member is prevented, in particular preventing undesired engagement of such a blade with an adjacent roller.

The invention therefore has among its objects, the production of a simple scraper structure which is so disposed that ink removed thereby from the blade of a tool is deposited into the ink receptacle directly at the ink agitator, whereby the deposited ink will be thoroughly mixed with that originally in the receptacle and in which the end of the scraper member is protected by the inking rollers and the latter in turn protected from accidental engagement with the flat bladed tools employed with the scraper.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION Referring to the drawings, which merely schematically illustrate portions of a printing press necessary for a full understanding of the invention, the reference numeral 1 inking rollers 7 and dicated generally an ink fountain or receptacle adapted to contain an ink supply 2. Such receptacle having a bottom wall respective longitudinally extending sidewalls 4 and 5, and cooperable end walls 6, only one of which is illustrated in FIG. 1, with the top of the receptacle thus being open. Disposed adjacent the upper edge of the wall 4 are a pair of cooperable in- 8, illustrated as extending on parallel axes and in rolling contact with one another, the roller 7 being partially immersed in the ink supply 2. Thus, ink would be initially picked up by the roller 7 from the supply 2 and transferred to the surface of the roller 8 and from there to the surface of a further roller or rollers (not shown) in rolling contact with the roller 8.

Disposed adjacent the upper edge of the opposite wall 5 of the receptacle 1 is an agitator carriage, indicated generally by the numeral 9, which is movable in a. direction parallel to the axes of the rollers 7 and 8 on a similarly disposed guide rod 11, the carriage 9 being reciprocated longitudinally along the receptacle by suitable means, as for example a threaded screw 12 rotatable on an axis extending parallel to the axis of the rod 11 and axes of the rollers 7 and 8. Thus by suitable rotation of the threaded shaft 12, the carriage 9 may be reciprocated from one end of the receptacle 1 to the opposite end thereof.

Carried by the carriage 9 is an agitator element 13 which is supported by the carriage 9 for rotation about its axis, the agitator 13 being rotated, as for example by suitable connection of the agitator to the shaft 12 whereby rotation of the latter will be transmitted to the agitator, for example by means of gearing in which the gear driven by the shaft 12 meshes with the teeth on the latter orotherwise suitably connected thereto. The details of construction of the agitator and the drive therefor as well as the specific drive means for effecting reciprocation of the carriage are well known in the art and the details thereof form no part of the present invention.

Carried by the carriage 9 is a scraper member, indicated generally by the reference numeral 24, illustrated as being formed from bar stock having sufficient width and thickness to provide a rigid structure and provided with an elongated scraper portion 15 and a a mounting portion 16, the latter being formed by bending the bar and twisting the same whereby the mounting portion thereof extends transversely to the scraper portion 15, with the face of the mounting portion disposed at approximately right angles to the scraper portion. The mounting portion 16 is disposed in engagement with the adjacent face of the carriage 9 and rigidly secured thereto by a screw 16 threaded into the carriage.

The scraper portion 25 extends generally toward the juncture of the rollers 7 and 8 and is preferably of a length to intersect the adjacent common tangent to the two rollers, whereby the free end of the scraper portion is effectively protected and guarded by the two rollers.

As clearly illustrated inFlG. l, the scraper portion 25 is of a lesser vertical height whereby the ends of the cutting edges 18 formed by the respective junctures ofthe top edge of the portion 15 with the vertical faces thereof, are terminated by up wardly extending abutments l9 and 21.

In use, the scraper member is readily accessible to the pressman, and as it follows the movement of the carriage, it will always be disposed directly above the agitator 13 so that scrapings dropping from the portion 25 into the ink supply 2 will be immediately mixed with the ink supply by the action of the agitator. It will also be noted that while the scraper member is moving with the carriage, the free end of the scraper member is fully protected at all times by the rollers 7 and 8 so that there is no danger of the pressman catching a glove or clothing thereon. Likewise, the abutments 19 and 21 limit movement of a flat-bladed tool longitudinally along the scraper member to effectively prevent the possibility of such a blade being drawn off of either end of the scraper portion and into engagement with the rollers or with the carriage.

It will be apparent from the above description that l have provided a scraper structure of extremely simple construction which is cooperable with the agitator carriage and inking rollers to provide a very efficient arrangement for the purposes intended.

Having thus described my invention, it will be obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention.

[claim as my invention:

1. An ink scraper structure carried by a printing press for facilitating removal of printing ink from manually actuated flat-bladed tools used therewith, in combination with an ink fountain comprising an ink-receiving tray-shaped receptacle having an open top, a plurality of cooperable elongated inking rollers disposed on parallel axes, at least one of which rollers is positioned adjacent a top longitudinal edge of the tray and disposed for at least partial immersion in ink contained therein, an agitator carriage disposed adjacent the opposite top longitudinal edge of the tray, means for moving said carriage along a path parallel to the axes of said inking rollers, a rotatable agitator member extending from said carriage at substantially right angles to the direction of movement thereof, into said tray, and a scraper member comprising an elongated bar secured at one end of the carriage and provided with a mounting portion at its supported end which extends transversely to the remainder of the bar, which mounting portion is constructed for engagement with means for rigidly connecting said portion to the carriage, said bar being disposed substantially above said agitator, the length of said bar being such that it extends from said carriage to adjacent said rollers, with the free end thereof intersecting a common tangent to two adjacent rollers, whereby the latter function as guard members for the adjacent portion of the scraper member, said bar having scraper edges along the top thereof, and being provided with upwardly extending portions at the opposite ends of said scraper edges, forming abutments engageable with the blades of such tools to limit longitudinal movement of such blades along said edges.

2. An ink scraper structure adapted to be carried by a printing press for facilitating removal of printing ink from manually actuated flat-bladed tools used therewith, in which such press is provided with an ink fountain comprising an ink-receiving tray-shaped receptacle having an open top, a plurality of cooperable elongated inking rollers disposed on parallel axes, at least one of which rollers is positioned adjacent a top longitudinal edge of the tray and disposed for at least partial immersion in ink contained therein, an agitator carriage disposed adjacent the opposite top longitudinal edge of the tray, means for moving said carriage along a path parallel to the axes of said inking rollers, a rotatable agitator member extending from said carriage at substantially right angles to the direction of movement thereof into said tray, said scraper structure comprising an elongated bar provided with a mounting portion at one end which extends transversely to the remainder of the bar, which mounting portion is constructed for engagement with means for rigidly connecting said portion to such a carriage, said bar being such that it will extend from such a carriage to adjacent such rollers, whereby the latter will function as guard members for the adjacent free end thereof, said bar having scraper edges defined by intersecting faces of said bar, and being provided with upwardly extending portions at the opposite ends of said scraper edges, forming abutments engageable with the blades of such tools to limit longitudinal movement of such blades along said edges. 

1. An ink scraper structure carried by a printing press for facilitating removal of printing ink from manually actuated flatbladed tools used therewith, in combination with an ink fountain comprising an ink-receiving tray-shaped receptacle having an open top, a plurality of cooperable elongated inking rollers disposed on parallel axes, at least one of which rollers is positioned adjacent a top longitudinal edge of the tray and disposed for at least partial immersion in ink contained therein, an agitator carriage disposed adjacent the opposite top longitudinal edge of the tray, means for moving said carriage along a path parallel to the axes of said inking rollers, a rotatable agitator member extending from said carriage at substantially right angles to the direction of movement thereof, into said tray, and a scraper member comprising an elongated bar secured at one end of the carriage and provided with a mounting portion at its supported end which extends transversely to the remainder of the bar, which mounting portion is constructed for engagement with means for rigidly connecting said portion to the carriage, said bar being disposed substantially above said agitator, the length of said bar being such that it extends from said carriage to adjacent said rollers, with the free end thereof intersecting a common tangent to two adjacent rollers, whereby the latter function as guard members for the adjacent portion of the scraper member, said bar having scraper edges along the top thereof, and being provided with upwardly extending portions at the opposite ends of said scraper edges, forming abutments engageable with the blades of such tools to limit longitudinal movement of such blades along said edges.
 2. An ink scraper structure adapted to be carried by a printing press for facilitating removal of printing ink from manually actuated flat-bladed tools used therewith, in which such press is provided with an ink fountain comprising an ink-receiving tray-shaped receptacle having an open top, a plurality of cooperable elongated inking rollers disposed on parallel axes, at least one of which rollers is positioned adjacent a top longitudinal edge of the tray and disposed for at least partial immersion in ink contained therein, an agitator carriage disposed adjacent the opposite top longitudinal edge of the tray, means for moving said carriage along a path parallel to the axes of said inking rollers, a rotatable agitator member extending from said carriage at substantially right angles to the direction of movement thereof into said tray, said scraper structurE comprising an elongated bar provided with a mounting portion at one end which extends transversely to the remainder of the bar, which mounting portion is constructed for engagement with means for rigidly connecting said portion to such a carriage, said bar being such that it will extend from such a carriage to adjacent such rollers, whereby the latter will function as guard members for the adjacent free end thereof, said bar having scraper edges defined by intersecting faces of said bar, and being provided with upwardly extending portions at the opposite ends of said scraper edges, forming abutments engageable with the blades of such tools to limit longitudinal movement of such blades along said edges. 